Continuous tunnel-kiln.



PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

A. A. GERY.

CONTINUOUS TUNNEL KILN.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.12.1904.

l l l n n lL elttozmuj Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. GERY, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTINUOUS TUNNEL-KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,290, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed October 12, 1904. Serial No. 228,128.

To /LZ 'lult/mt it 77mg/ conc/27%:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. Geur, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing in the city of Reading', county of Berks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous Tunnel-Kilns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to continuous kilns of the tunnel type, in which brick or other articles carried upon cars are burned d uring their passage through a tunnel.

The purpose of my invention is to provide satisfactory means for practically effecting in a continuous operation and with a minimum expenditure of labor and fuel the uniform treatment of brick or other material in the several stag'es of d rying, heating', burning, and cooling to which they are successively subjected.

The invention is particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the several features, all of which are specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figures l, 2, and 3 jointly indicate in longitudinal section a tunnel-kiln adapted to carry my invention into effect, the same being shown fully charged with loaded cars of brick in process of burning by my improved method. Fig. A shows the outgoing` portion of' the tunnel, as in Fig. 3, but only partially charged with loaded ears for the starting of the burning operation by my improved method. Fig. is a cross-section of the kiln on the line 5 5 of Fig. l, showing the side-wall flues provided at the ingoing portion of the tunnel for utilizing' the products of combustion indirectly in drying' the green brick.

It will be understood that the several tunnel portions shown in separate Figs. l, 2, and 3 are, in fact, alined to form a single tunnel through which an abutted line of loaded cars C is continually passing` during the normal operation of 'the kiln, the abutted car-floors forming jointly a movable tunnel-floor and the whole train being periodically advanced by the introduction at one end of a new car of green brick and the withdrawal at the other end of a car of finished brick. Fig. I shows the portion of the tunnel which is occupied by the ingoing brick, Fig. 2 shows the intermediate portion or inner tunnel, in which the brick are subjected to the intense heat required for burning, and Fig. 8 shows the forward portion, which is occupied by the outgoing burned brick. The cars ride, as usual, upon a track extending' through the tunnel and are closely abutted and provided with depending side plates, which slide in sandways in the tunnel,so as to form a sealed tunnel-way above the car-floors, in which the piled bricks upon the latter are subjected in succession to the drying', burning, and cooling operations required d uring their passage through the tunnel. A stack 9. or exhaust-fan is provided at the ingoing end of the tunnel to create a current through the tunnel in a reverse direction to the travel of the brick, a regulated inflow of air being provided for at the opposite or outgoing end of the tunnel. The flow ofl this current through the loosely-piled brick upon the ears is regulated by means of vertically-adjustable transverse plates 3, depending from the roof of the tunnel at proper points in the length thereof, said plates being' adapted to deflect the current so as to insure proper contact of the infiowing air with the outgoing burned brick and of the outflowing gases with the advanced incoming' brick to respectively extract the heat from the former and impart it uniformly to the latter. The burning of the brick, which takes place, as usual, in the inner tunnel, is provided for by utilizing the cars therein as a movable furnace-bed, to which fuel is directly supplied through a series of fuel-inlets Lf, arranged at suitable points in the inner tunnel-wall. These inlets are preferably located, as shown, so as to deliver the fuel to the spaces 8, intervening between the separate piles of spaced brick. (Indicated by dotted lines in the drawings.)

The defiector plates or valves 3, as shown, are employed adjacent to each end ofl the tunnel and are regulated after each passage of a ear so as to control the flow of the current of inflowing air and of outiiowing gases, respectively, as desired. A proper volume of air is permitted to pass beneath the adjusted forward plates and through the outgoing' burned brick to gradually cool the latter and correspondingly heat said current as it ows rearward into and through the inner tunnel, so as to insure combustion of the fuel fed to the latter. As shown in the drawings, approximately one-third of the whole length of the tunnel is thus constantly utilized as a furnace, the moving floor of which is constantly carrying the bricks through 'it and constantly presenting new brick and a new bed upon which to consume the fuel supplied through the fixed fuel-inlets. The maximum heat requiredesay 2,500O-is attained about midway of the length of the inner tunnel and is gradually reduced in each direction therefrom. The reverse current carries the products ofcombustion from the inner tunnel directly through the nearer incoming brick and thence rearward beneath certain of the vertically-adjustable'deflector-plates 3, which are arranged to lower the current, so as to insure the proper heating of the lower courses of piled brick. In order that the heat remaining in the products of combustion may be made use of in drying the green brick upon the last-introduced cars, it is necessary that' it be so conducted as to heat said brick in-l ward flow in the tunnel, through which exits the partially-cooled current is conducted to passage-ways or fines 6, formed in the side walls of the tunnel at the ingoing end thereof, and thence to the stack 2, thus heating said walls, so as to indirectly heat the entering green brick for the purpose of driving out the moisture. To carry away this moisture, and thus satisfactorily complete the drying operation, a separate stack or exhaust-fan is provided at 7 in connection with the tunnel, which creates a forward draft through the inlet-door of the tunnel and through the drying brick to said stack, thus securing the prompt removal of the moisture expelled by the heat and insuring the continuous delivery of properly-dried brick to the heating action of the products of combustion in the tunnel ahead.

In the foregoing description of my invention only the normal continuous operation of my improved kiln has been considered, and it will now be necessary in order that it may be fully shown how to carry the invention into effect that the manner of starting the burning operation and the special means employed for the purpose be set forth. In starting a tunnel it is first charged with abutting cars loaded with unburned brick, preferably previously dried, until the inner tunnel is about filled, as indicated in Fig. 4. In advance of the forward car of brick and forming the head of the train is a car 10, in the main similar in Construction to the other cars, but arranged to serve as a movable furnace. This car, as shown, carries near its forward end a lire-wall 11, which serves as a movable closure-wall to the tunnel, and this fire-wall is provided with a {ire-door, through which fuel is supplied to the floor of the car and an ingoing current of air is admitted, the space between the periphery of said fire-wall and the walls of the tunnel being' preferably sealed with looselypacked clay at the several stopping-points of the car in its passage through the outgoing portion of the tunnel. In the position shown in Fig. 4 a brisk fire is maintained upon this fire-car for a considerable time to heat the following train of brick sufiicientl y to cause combustion of fuel introduced through the fuelinlets 4 in the tunnel directly to the loaded cars. The inner tunnel is thus converted into a furnace having a movable fioor formed by the cars therein. forward by the introduction of new cars of green brick at proper intervals of time, the: ldre-car being advanced with thern and a fire of decreasing intensity being maintained thereon until finally the advanced cars of burned brick occupy the previously-empty outgoing portion of the tunnel and serve to properly heat the inflowing air, the fire-car being entirely removed from the tunnel and the normal operation of the tunnel thereafter proceeding continuously without it.

As indicated in Fig. 5, I preferably arrang my improved tunnels in an attached group or parallel series, separated only by partitionwalls, each of which latter is thus adapted to serve for two contiguous tunnels. This arrangement, which is highly advantageous because of the reduced space required for a. `given tunnel capacity, reduced cost of construction,- and reduced consumption of fuel,

is rendered possible by my improved construction and method of operation, as described. Each hollow wall portion 6', as shown, serves as a joint flue for two contiguous tunnels communicating therewith and is connected to a common transverse flue 9, leading.

to the stack 2, while a similar transverse fine l2 connects a series of tunnels with the separate stack 7 for removing the moisture. The'. mam advantages of my invention, hoWever,.

as will be understood from the foregoing description, are that it provides forl the con-z tinuous carrying on of the drying, heating, burning, and cooling operations without interruption for cleaning of fires, &c., without subjecting any portion of the material under treatment to excessive and unequal heat action, with remarkable uniformity in the character of the product, and with great economy;

of fuel and labor.

While I have particu-larly described my invention as applied to the burning of brick or similar articles, it will be obvious that it is not limited to this speciic use, inasmuch as ,its adaptability to annealing operations, to the TOO iro

treatment of ores or cements, and other analol fuel-inlets to the inner tunnel, means for maingous uses will be readily understood.

Vhat I claim isl. A tunnel-kiln, a train of cars for carrying' brick or the like therethrough, means for maintaining a reverse current over the outg'oing' and inner tunnel brick, means for supplying fuel to said inner-tunnel brick during their passage, a shut-off valve forward of the incoming end of the tunnel to cut off the reverse current through the latter, and a sidewall flue with inlet thereto from the tunnel forward of said shut-off valve, whereby the reverse cin-rent is conducted through said flue to indirectly heat the incoming' end of the tunnel.

2. A tunnel-kiln, a train of cars for carrying brick or the like therethrough, means for supplying fuel to the inner tunnel, and means for maintaining' a continuous reverse current passing first through the forward and inner tunnel in contact with the brick therein and thereafter through a separate passage-way contiguous to the entrance end of the tunnel to indirectly heat the incoming brick.

3. A tunnel-kiln, a train of cars for carrying' brick or the like therethrough, means for supplying' fuel to the inner tunnel, and means for maintaining a continuous reverse current passing first through the forward and inner tunnel in contact with the brick therein and thereafter through a separate passage-way contiguous to the entrance end of the tunnel to indirectly heat the incoming' brick and separate means for withdrawing moisture from the entrance portion of the tunnel.

4. A tunnel-kiln, a train of cars for carrying brick or the like therethrough, means for supplying' fuel to the inner tunnel, and means for maintaining a continuous reverse current passing first through the forward and inner tunnel in contact with the brick therein and thereafter through a separate passage-way contiguous to the entrance end of the tunnel to indirectly heat the incoming brick and separate means for producing aforward currentin the entrance portion of the tunnel whereby the moisture is separately withdrawn therefrom.

5. A tunnel-kiln, atrain of cars for carrying brick or the like the1eth1'ougli,means for maintaining a reverse current through the tunnel, and a movable fire-car in advance of said train.

6. A tunnel-kiln, a train of cars for carrying' brick or the like therethrough,means for maintaining' a reverse current through the tunnel, and a movable fire-car in advance of said train carrying' a tunnel-closure fire-wall.

7. A tunnel-kiln having a series of fixed fuel-inlets to the inner tunnel, means for maintaining a reverse current through the tunnel, a train of brick-carrying ears the floors of which form a movable kiln-floor, and a firecarin advance of said train and fired independently of said fuel-inlets.

S. A tunnel-kiln having a series of fixed taining a reverse current through the tunnel, a train of brick-carrying cars the floors of which form a movable kiln-floor, and a firecarin advance of said train and fired independently of said fuel-inlets and carrying a closure-wall for the tunnel.

9. A tunnel-kiln having a midway furnace portion with a series of fixed fuel-inlets thereto, a train of brick-carrying' cars the floors of which form a movable kiln-floor, means for maintaining a reverse current through the tunnel and a series of sl'iaced-apart and vertically-adjustable deflector-plates located between said furnace portion and the entrance portion of the tunnel and depending different distances from the roof of the kiln to varyingly deflect the outflowing current downward at different points in the length of the tunnel.

10. A tunnel-kiln having' a midway furnace portion with a series of fixed fuel-inlets thereto, a train of brick-carrying ears the floors of which form a movable kiln-floor, means for maintaining a reverse current through thc tunnel and a series of spaced-apart and vertically-adjustable deflector-plates located bctween said furnace portion and the exit portion of the tunnel and depending' different distances from the roof of the kiln to varyingly deflect the inflowing' current downward at d ifferent points in the length of the tunnel.

11. A tunnel-kiln having a midway furnace portion with a series of fixed fuelinlets thereto, a train of brick-carrying' cars the floors of which forni a movable kiln-floor, means for maintaining a reverse current through the tunnel and a series of spaced-apart and vertically-adjustable deflector-plates located between said furnace portion and the exit and entrance portions thereof respectively and depending different distances from the roof of the kiln to varyingly deflect said current downward in its approach to and departure from said furnace portion.

12. A kiln system comprising a series of parallel drying and burning' tunnels separated by partition-walls each of which serves as a side wall of two contiguous tunnels, and having their entering' portions contiguous and separated from the inner tunnels by movable partitions to form drying-chambers, each of said walls having a flue formed therein eX- tending inward from the entrance end of the tunnel and communicating' with the inner tunnel forward of said partitions, and a common stack or exhaust at the entrance end of the tunnels connecting a series of said side-wall flues, substantially as set forth.

13. A kiln system comprising a series of parallel drying' and burning tunnels having their entrance ends contiguous and separated by vertical partition-walls each of which serves as a side wall of two contiguous tunnels, each of said tunnels having' an independent outlet IOO IOS

IlO

for moist air located one or more car'lengths forward of the incoming end thereof and a closure-valve forward of said outlet, and a stack or exhaust communicating with a series of such outlets.

141. A kiln system comprising a series of parallel drying and burning tunnels having their entrance ends contiguous and separated by vertical partition-wal ls each of which serves as a side wall of two contiguous tunnels, each of said walls having a Hue therein, and each of said tunnels having an independent draftoutlet for moist air located one or more car lengths forward of the incoming end thereof and a closure-valve forward of said outlet, and separate stacks or discharge means communicating respectively with a series of said Vlines and a series of said outlets.

15. In an apparatus of the character described,in combination, a'tunnel, amovable platformadapted to be moved through Said tunnel, a fire-wall carried by said platform, there being a ring-opening in said wall.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, in combinatiorna tunnel, a car provided with a platform adaptedto act as a furnace-floor, a lire-wall carried by saidfplatform, there being a firing-opening in said Wall.

17. 'In combination, a car lprovided with a platform, adapted toact as a'furnace-oor, a fire-wall carried by said platform, there being a firing-opening in said wall.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT A. GERY.

Witnesses:

D. M. STEWART, VJG. STEWART. 

